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Collagen Role in Wound Healing
Wound healing is a complex process involving a number of chemical and biological events. The body orchestrates a concerted effort through a series of interlocking and overlapping cellular events to attain wound healing. All wounds follow the same specific steps in the course of healing. The overlapping events include: vasoconstriction, vasodilatation, phagocytes, granulation, fibroblast formation, angiogenesis, reepithelialization, collagen secretion, removal and remodeling. There is a large body of evidence that suggest collagen is a common denominator in all stages of wound healing. Collagen serves as the key extracellular component for repair and remodeling of skin tissue. Some of the unique features of collagen include:
- Guiding Function – Collagen fibers serve to guide fibroblasts. Fibroblasts migrate along a connective tissue matrix (Doillon et al., 1984).
- Chemotactic Properties – The large surface area available on the collagen fibers can attract fibrogenic cells (Klein & Weiss, 1966; Kleinman, et al., 1978). The chemotactic properties of the breakdown products of collagen can also help in wound healing (Hovig, 1963).
- Nucleation – Collagen in the presence of certain neutral salt molecules can act as a nucleating agent causing formation of fibrillar structures (Wood, 1962).
- Reutilization – Fibrous wound dressings can be solubilized and repolymerized to fibrous collagen in the extracellular space (Klein, et al., 1966).
- Hemostatic Properties – Blood platelets and other blood components interact with the collagen to make a hemostatic plug (Chvapil, 1982; Hovig et al., 1968, Hovig, et al., 1970; Hugues et al., 1976; Zucker & Borrelli, 1962).
As a biomaterial, collagen offers several advantages over traditional dressings, growth hormones and biological coverings.
